damage had already been done.
“What in the name of Yen-Ki are you doing, Dem-Shyr TaeDane?” Brunyr demanded, his eyes wide. “Remove yourself from the Ascendant this instant.”
Ty wanted to know what the Guardians were doing in Kyr’s bedchambers at this hour, but he was in no position to question anyone. Easing off of Kyr so he stood beside the bed, he kept himself between her and the armed Mynders. His fear mingled with Kyr’s, creating a riotous storm in his chest.
Shaya stepped forward, looking remarkably well for someone who couldn’t attend her own daughter’s celebration. She was fully dressed. Her cold blue eyes honed in on him, accusation all over her face.
“Yes, Dem-Shyr ,” she said. “We order you to tell us what’s going on here. Did you just attempt to rape Ma’jah Kyr?”
The question snapped through the air like a whip. It made the breath seize in Ty’s chest. It also gave him the out he needed in order to spare Kyr.
“No!” Kyr cried, scrambling to get off the bed.
“Yes,” he said in a louder voice. His heart clutched over the awful lie.
“No!” Kyr shouted again, now standing beside him. “Ty, we need to tell them the truth. Don’t—”
“I used my abilities to influence Ma’jah,” he said, the words tripping over themselves as he rushed to talk over her. “I manipulated her…made her think she’s in love with me so she wouldn’t fight me.”
“Ty!”
Kyr’s gasp came out like a sob. Her sharp pain over his words made his throat tighten. Silently, he begged her not to fight him.
Shaya stepped closer to him, her nostrils flaring. “How can this be? We trusted you!”
“Don’t listen to him, Mother,” Kyr insisted, trying to get around Ty so she could face her parents. “Let go of me, Ty! Let me talk to them. Guardians, I’ve been trying to tell you that we love each other. Ty, please .”
Her tone and her attempts to get past him grew more and more desperate with each word. He saw the tears trailing down her face, the despair in her lovely eyes.
But Ty knew. He read it in the Guardians’ thoughts. Someone had put them on the hunt, and they wanted blood.
“She doesn’t know what she’s saying,” he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “My influence is too strong. She’ll continue to argue until you intervene.”
Shaya’s lips pressed together. She nodded at the Mynders, who turned towards Kyr. It took everything Ty had to keep from moving to protect her.
God, Kyr. I’m so sorry , he thought as he stepped aside to let the Mynders past.
“No!” she screamed as the guards moved in. “Don’t come near me.”
The Mynders hesitated and looked at the Guardians, clearly not sure what to do.
“Tell them the truth, Ty,” Kyr implored, reaching out and grabbing his arm so fiercely that her nails sunk in. “We’ll face this together. Don’t do this!”
Her words were breaking his resolve. She was right. They should face this together. Why was he trying to take all of this on himself?
It took him a moment to grasp that she was influencing him.
“She can keep them at bay with her abilities,” he said out loud, pulling his arm from her grasp.
Kyr’s expression reflected confusion and betrayal. “ Ty .”
This time, the Guardians stepped forward and took each of her arms. She fought like a cornered animal, screaming for Ty to tell them the truth. For a moment, he almost gave into his own instincts and intervened. He had to remind himself again and again that he was doing this to protect her.
It took several Mynders in addition to the Guardians to subdue her. Eventually, they administered a sedative with a pressure syringe. Seeing Kyr go limp and silent made Ty unintentionally step forward to check on her. Several de’llums swept up to point at his neck, reminding him of his new place. Before he was really ready, one of the other Mynders left the room with Kyr’s unconscious body in his arms.
Ty’s lungs ached with every breath
“What in the name of Yen-Ki are you doing, Dem-Shyr TaeDane?” Brunyr demanded, his eyes wide. “Remove yourself from the Ascendant this instant.”
Ty wanted to know what the Guardians were doing in Kyr’s bedchambers at this hour, but he was in no position to question anyone. Easing off of Kyr so he stood beside the bed, he kept himself between her and the armed Mynders. His fear mingled with Kyr’s, creating a riotous storm in his chest.
Shaya stepped forward, looking remarkably well for someone who couldn’t attend her own daughter’s celebration. She was fully dressed. Her cold blue eyes honed in on him, accusation all over her face.
“Yes, Dem-Shyr ,” she said. “We order you to tell us what’s going on here. Did you just attempt to rape Ma’jah Kyr?”
The question snapped through the air like a whip. It made the breath seize in Ty’s chest. It also gave him the out he needed in order to spare Kyr.
“No!” Kyr cried, scrambling to get off the bed.
“Yes,” he said in a louder voice. His heart clutched over the awful lie.
“No!” Kyr shouted again, now standing beside him. “Ty, we need to tell them the truth. Don’t—”
“I used my abilities to influence Ma’jah,” he said, the words tripping over themselves as he rushed to talk over her. “I manipulated her…made her think she’s in love with me so she wouldn’t fight me.”
“Ty!”
Kyr’s gasp came out like a sob. Her sharp pain over his words made his throat tighten. Silently, he begged her not to fight him.
Shaya stepped closer to him, her nostrils flaring. “How can this be? We trusted you!”
“Don’t listen to him, Mother,” Kyr insisted, trying to get around Ty so she could face her parents. “Let go of me, Ty! Let me talk to them. Guardians, I’ve been trying to tell you that we love each other. Ty, please .”
Her tone and her attempts to get past him grew more and more desperate with each word. He saw the tears trailing down her face, the despair in her lovely eyes.
But Ty knew. He read it in the Guardians’ thoughts. Someone had put them on the hunt, and they wanted blood.
“She doesn’t know what she’s saying,” he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “My influence is too strong. She’ll continue to argue until you intervene.”
Shaya’s lips pressed together. She nodded at the Mynders, who turned towards Kyr. It took everything Ty had to keep from moving to protect her.
God, Kyr. I’m so sorry , he thought as he stepped aside to let the Mynders past.
“No!” she screamed as the guards moved in. “Don’t come near me.”
The Mynders hesitated and looked at the Guardians, clearly not sure what to do.
“Tell them the truth, Ty,” Kyr implored, reaching out and grabbing his arm so fiercely that her nails sunk in. “We’ll face this together. Don’t do this!”
Her words were breaking his resolve. She was right. They should face this together. Why was he trying to take all of this on himself?
It took him a moment to grasp that she was influencing him.
“She can keep them at bay with her abilities,” he said out loud, pulling his arm from her grasp.
Kyr’s expression reflected confusion and betrayal. “ Ty .”
This time, the Guardians stepped forward and took each of her arms. She fought like a cornered animal, screaming for Ty to tell them the truth. For a moment, he almost gave into his own instincts and intervened. He had to remind himself again and again that he was doing this to protect her.
It took several Mynders in addition to the Guardians to subdue her. Eventually, they administered a sedative with a pressure syringe. Seeing Kyr go limp and silent made Ty unintentionally step forward to check on her. Several de’llums swept up to point at his neck, reminding him of his new place. Before he was really ready, one of the other Mynders left the room with Kyr’s unconscious body in his arms.
Ty’s lungs ached with every breath
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